


A Promise I Couldn't Help But Keep

by ThereIsNoTragedyInThat



Series: A Thousand Futures of Me and You [211]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Boys In Love, Don't copy to another site, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Heavy Angst, Hurt Stephen Strange, M/M, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:28:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23034766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat/pseuds/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat
Summary: "I will always love you."
Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Series: A Thousand Futures of Me and You [211]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1118655
Comments: 9
Kudos: 72





	A Promise I Couldn't Help But Keep

“Stephen,” Tony said in a pained voice. “Please.”

Swallowing thickly Stephen turned away from where Tony stood in his doorway, eyes pleading with him to reconsider. He couldn’t…he wouldn’t do that. He might not have the strength to take a stake to own heart or step into the sunlight but doing nothing was something he was absolutely capable of doing. Stephen would not drink, no matter how his stomach ached and his throat dried. He wouldn’t fucking do it and not to Tony especially.

“You’re so fucking selfish.”

Stephen swung around, eyes blazing with indignation that Tony would stand there and say that to him…after everything he had done to make this better, to keep his promises, “don’t say that to me. You know better than anyone that isn’t true.”

Tony’s jaw clenched and Stephen knew it had been a bad idea to allow him in here. Wong would have done it anyway; the man having ranted for the past couple of days since Stephen’s return to the Sanctum and refused to finish the transformation. He wouldn’t live a half-life and he’d be damned if he let Wong convince him otherwise.

Right now, though, he had bigger concerns. Namely the way Tony’s heartbeat had just increased, the angry flush on his cheeks and the way his scent sparked with emotion. Stephen’s mouth watered at the prospect of drinking from him, of finally quenching the thirst in the back of his throat.

He wouldn’t. He was familiar with pain and this would be no different.

“Stephen, we can find a way to fix this. But we need time to do it. Just do it and we’ll have all the time we need,” practical and passionate and hateful. Why did he have to love this man so damn much?

Taking an unnecessary breath, Stephen moved toward Tony. His control was ironclad, his need to touch and feel his lover one last time tipping the scales with his need to drink. Stephen always had been stubborn. Stopping in front of Tony, he searched the man’s eyes for any kind of fear and was gratified to find nothing hidden in their depths. Careful not to breathe now that he was close, Stephen raised a trembling hand and cupped Tony’s cheek, ignored the way his heart twisted when Tony pushed into it.

“Do you feel that Tony?” he whispered.

“Feel what?”

“It’s cold.”

Brown eyes looked defiantly into his, “your hands have always been cold.”

Stephen shook his head, “I’m dead Tony. I don’t have a heartbeat. My entire body will always be cold to the touch. I can never walk in the sun again. I have to drink blood just to keep existing. I have to hurt the people that I love. I became a doctor to save lives, not take them.”

“You don’t have to kill,” Tony replied vehemently. “Wong said-”

“I know what Wong said, I don’t care.”

“Stephen-”

“Tony,” he interrupted again. “Don’t ask me to live like this. Don’t ask me to be a monster. I came back instead of dying in that hellish dimension so I could say goodbye…let me say goodbye.”

Tony’s hands wrapped firmly around Stephen’s wrists, “I can’t lose you. You promised to always come back.”

Tears glistened in Tony’s eyes, but they didn’t fall. Desperation laced his tone and Stephen tried to imprint his face on his mind, taking it all in one last time, “I kept my promise. I came back. I love you so much Tony.”

“Stay, please.”

“I can’t” Stephen breathed, eyes falling closed as his scent caused agony to rip through him. “You never asked me if I believed in God.”

He felt Tony still.

“I don’t,” he confided. “But I do believe in an afterlife. I believe that when I die, even the way I am now, I’m going to see my sister again and my brother and my parents and one day…” he opened his eyes, taking in the way Tony’s expression crumpled. “I’ll see you again too,”

Hesitating only a moment, Stephen leaned down with exaggerated slowness until he could press a delicate kiss to Tony’s lips. His lover’s blood thrummed rapidly through his veins, enticing to the point of pain but damn it all to hell Stephen would have this, this one last thing before he died. Tony’s hands slipped into his hair, deepening the kiss and Stephen groaned lowly, control fraying until he had no choice but to pull away from Tony and take a big step backwards, one hand still gripping his.

Tony watched him for a moment, those tears now having crested the lid of his eye and sliding their way down his cheeks. This was the goodbye Stephen wanted, the one he felt Tony deserved. He’d like to think this was kinder than having disappeared one day, never to be seen or heard from again.

Stephen chose to ask one small favor in return.

“Stay with me?”

Tony shook his head, “I’m not leaving, not until you’re gone.” He led them over to the four-poster bed and climbed on gingerly, laying back against the pillows, Tony’s head on his shoulder, it could almost be any other day. Only the hard grip on his shirt gave him away, as though that alone could keep Stephen there.

A few more hours and Stephen’s body would reject the bite. He’d die, like he was supposed to back in that dimension and that would be that. Stephen had already said goodbye to Wong, was surprised by his frustration, his loyalty, his tears. But it was alright. He understood. Christine, he’d sent a letter. She too would understand. Finally, this here with Tony, well even if he was to die like this, he was happy he at least had this moment. Happy that he was able to keep his promise. The thirst would become harder to bear, he knew that and having Tony close wouldn’t help.

Stephen was confident he wouldn’t slip. After all, nothing compared to the torture of Dormammu. It turned out that was good for something after all, besides saving the world, he had the control to spend his final moments with Tony.

“I will always love you,” Stephen murmured.

“Until the day I die,” Tony replied. “And after.”

**Author's Note:**

> Ages since I've done a death fic...really it was about time :)


End file.
